Middlesbrough captain Emanuel Pogatetz is pleading with the fans not to boo want-away winger Stewart Downing on Saturday. "Stewart is a local lad. He has been a good servant for the club for many years," he told the Evening Gazette.

"He's never let anybody down. I wouldn't expect anybody to boo him because he is a local lad who always performs for the club.

"It wouldn't do him any good at all, and it wouldn't help the team. We need a good atmosphere against Sunderland because it is a very important game.

"All that matters to the club at the moment is that we get the three points against Sunderland.

"I hope the fans will come along and cheer all of us and help us to get those points. It shouldn't be about Stewart Downing and his transfer request.

"We will be focusing together and we need the fans to be behind us as a team."